John Carney’s Begin Again tells the story of singer-songwriter Greta (Keira Knightley) who is left heartbroken in New York after breaking up with musician boyfriend Dave (Adam Levine). Upon a chance encounter in a downtown New York bar, Greta meets Dan, (Mark Ruffalo) a music-business executive that is down on his luck, who later persuades Greta to embark on a unique music collaboration.
Recording outdoors in New York with a band made up of students, friends (James Corden), and family (Hailee Steinfield), Greta writes and records her songs to create an album that Dan will later sell to his music label.
Filled with love, heart break, happiness, and laughter, I’d recommend the film to anyone looking for an alternative take on a rom-com, those who love music, those who love movies filmed in New York, and for those who are looking for a moment to escape.
Three things I loved most about the film1) It’s filmed in New York.
Ok, so that’s a bit of a rubbish reason why I enjoyed the film because there are plenty of movies filmed in New York, but I’ve had a passion to take a bite of the big apple for years and when I went a few years ago I adored the place even more than I thought I ever would. The way that Begin Again is filmed makes you feel as if you’re there somehow, taking part in the adventure and the recording experience; you’re part of the gang almost.2) Keira Knightley (Greta) and Mark Ruffalo (Dan) characters
It was so refreshing to see Keira Knightley out of fitted corsets and in a more relaxed, modern role. Greta as a character was extremely likeable as the audience watch her find herself in the city that never sleeps. Keira Knightley actually sings in the film, and I thought that the songs she sung complimented her journey into the music business perfectly. Greta’s chemistry with Dan also makes the film enjoyable. The characters had you on the edge of your seat as you watched two different personalities meet, when they begin later to understand each other, and how they sit and comprehend what creating an album could mean to them both.3) The music
The music for the film was written by Gregg Alexander who has written songs for the likes of Rod Steward, Ronan Keating, Hanson, and Sophie Ellis Bextor. Alexander’s songs were written with love, and as I said above, they complimented each character that sung them seamlessly. So many of the songs were so catchy as well, especially ‘’No One Else Like You’ that was stuck in my head for days after viewing. My favourite song of the film is ‘Lost Stars’ performed initially by Keira Knightley and later by Adam Levine; the song ingeniously links the whole plot together. I also liked ‘Tell Me If You Wanna Go Home’ performed by Keira Knightley in the film.
Check out the songs on Youtube now- or preferably head over to Amazon to buy the official album that contains all the songs from the film. It is an album well worth the money, believe me!
If I have tempted you to watch the film, head over to http://beginagainfilm.com/#/home to find out more, or head to cinemas now to go and experience Begin Again for yourselves!Thanks for reading!